Funasshii, a small pear-shaped fairy character, has attained massive popularity both at home in Japan and internationally since his debut in 2011. There are two features that make Funassi stand out from other “yura kyara”, or mascot characters. The first is that while most characters are created by local governments and corporations to promote events or campaigns, Funassi was created by an unnamed private citizen of Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture.
Funassi is also known for his hyperactive nature, leaping around the stage shouting in his high-pitched voice while most mascots move at a more relaxed pace and don’t make a sound. The character has also spawned countless varieties of merchandise from stuffed animals to snack foods and even an album of original music. Now it has been announced that he will be getting his very own anime, airing as part of a program
called “Sukkiri!!”
While Funassi fans were excited at the news and commended Funassii for his continued success, some expressed dismay that they might not be able to watch the show because of its morning time slot and still others worried if Funassii wasn’t beginning to overstay his welcome.
From Yahoo!:
Funassii Anime To Appear on “Sukkiri!!” Program
Funassii, the “unofficial” character of Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture, continues to be popular in 2015. Until now, he’s been active in all sorts of places, making debut albums and goods, doing voice acting for dramas, and even making appearances at press conferences for foreign correspondents. But now an anime has been confirmed, starting March 30 as part of “Sukkiri!!” (NHK Broadcasting) which airs Monday through Friday.
The program will be called “Funassii”s Funa Funa Funa Fabulous Day”. It will be a short animation aimed at provided viewers with some morning relaxation, and will involve new characters as well as Funassii.
Of course, there is only one person responsible for providing Funassii’s voice. As for the additional cast, a group of voice actors including Lynn as Gureshi and Tatsuta Naoki as the Pear God has been determined. The focus will be on the adorable Funassii as he works hard every morning to bring joy to the people of the world.
Comments from Yahoo!:
p1n*****：
I wouldn’t have thought in a million years that Funassii would become this busy
roc*****|：
I wonder how many hundreds of millions Funassii is worth.Probably already around the several billion mark. It’s really amazing that someone could earn this much with a character they created themselves. They sure are a real go-getter.
lup*****|：
A cartoon is nice, but it seems like there are going to be a lot of people who can’t watch it at that time…it’d be good to record it but the thing is I want to watch it in real time.
eda*****：
Amazing, usually you get a cartoon show and then from there you get to having a mascot costume but this is the complete opposite.
nig*****：
Now that Funassii’s come this far, I have a feeling he’ll be able to live his whole life off royalties.
cyo*****：
I want to try and watch it once but I can’t make that time slot. And recording the whole program is a pain.
sim*****：
I think he belongs more in the “celebrity” category rather than “mascot”. When you think about it that way, it’s amazing that he hasn’t been just a flash in the pan.
d19*****:
I think the person inside the suit is pretty terrific to have come this far.
cor*****：
Funassii sure is super busy.
Take care of yourself and give it your all (^^)
mik*****:
So it’ll be about 5 or 10 minutes long? Seems like it will be difficult to attract viewership in real time, but I thought I’d record and watch it. The number of things to look forward to on my weekdays has gone up by one.
hir*****:
Rehashed ideas are popping up all over the place, and of course that applies to Funassii as well…
hir*****:
The cartoon doesn’t sound like it’ll go anywhere.
k_c*****:
He’s already past his prime.I’m honestly amazed that he’s come this far on his own
If there even comes a time when he calls it quits, I have a feeling he’ll decide it for himself.
hi0*****:
I want to see it, but I also feel like I want to let Funassii take a break. He’s a hard worker.
rir*****:
Funassii got his big break from appearing on Sukkiri, so maybe he feels he owes them one.
hai*****：
When he first showed up I thought he’d be gone immediately, but I can’t believe he’s made it this far.
ktmjb8j:
Starting with Hikonyan and then spreading out from Kumamon, the whole country’s really getting lazy with these bandwagon-jumping characters, but Funassii stands apart from the rest.
